Hopper outlet valve providing lading sampling

ABSTRACT

A pneumatic hopper outlet having a valve operated by handles at each end of the outlet. Each end of the outlet has a sleeve or tube closed by caps adapted to be locked by bails extending over the ends thereof. Each tube has a pair of handles near each end. One handle on each end engages a portion of each bail so as to prevent rotation of the rotary tube in either direction when the bails are in their locking position, and the other two handles are slightly spaced from the bails. Thus, when one of the bails is removed from its locking position, the tube can be rotated to partially open the valve for the purpose of obtaining a sample of the lading.

Rollins........................

[54] HOPPER OUTLET VALVE PROVIDING 3,554,609 1/1971 302/52 3,572,844 3/1971 Mundinger et al. ....302/52 LADING SAMPLING [72] Inventors: Richard H. Dugge; John L. Carney,

Primary ExaminerM. Henson Wood, .l r. Assistant Examiner--Thomas C. Culp, Jr. Attorney- Samuel J. Snyder et al.

Jr., both of St. Louis, Mo.

[73] Assignee: ACF Industries, Incorporated, New

York, N.Y.

[22] Filed: July 19, 1971 A h A T II T l v pp No: 163,737 pneumatic opper out et avmg a va ve operated by handles at each end of the outlet. Each end of the ,out-' let has a sleeve or tube closed by caps adapted to be locked by bails extending over the ends thereof. Each tube has a pair of handles near each end. One handle on each end engages a portion of each bail so as to prevent rotation of the rotary tube in either direction when the bails are in their locking position, and the other two handles are slightly spaced from the bails. Thus, when one of the bails is removed from its locking position, the tube can be rotated to partially open the valve for the purpose of obtainin of the lading.

242 555 m m d a 3 5 939 1H1 u 3 z m o u/ ""2 "n2 mml m L WI C d sum UI-F 11 1 2 8 555 [56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS g a sample 10 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures 2X22 5 55 2922 w mw "2 u" "2 "0 mi N" mlm mn "a e t an nr d mmGn cu AKMM 2570 6667 9999 1111 [III 8709 PATENTEDHN a 1 m2 SHEET 1 OF '3 INVENTORS RICHARD HQDUGGE JOHN L. CARNEY, JR.

ATTORNEY PKTENTED 06131 I912 SHEET 2 OF 3 HOPPER OUTLET VALVE PROVIDING LADING SAMPLING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Covered hopper railway cars are provided cars bottom outlets adapted to be connected to suitable suction means for conveying lading from the hoppers. The out lets are provided with .valves which may consist of a slotted rotary tube extending transversely across the car and having end caps for closing the tube in transit. Handles are provided on the tube for rotating it. It is at times desirable to obtain a sample of the lading before proceeding with the unloading thereof. It is the principal object of the invention to provide a valve for a pneumatic discharge outlet capable of being opened slightly from either-side of a railway car for discharging a sample of the lading; I

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The valve attached to the bottom of a pneumatic discharge outlet has an outer transverse tube and an inner tube rotatable within the outer tube. The inner tube has a main opening adapted to be placed in communication'with the bottom opening of the outlet. An end cap closes the ends of the tubes. A bail pivotally fixed to the outlet near each end of the tubes is adapted to swing over the outer side of one cap. Each bail has a camming lever which can be turned to lock the end cap in its closed position. The rotary tube has a pair of handles at each end by which it may be turned to open and close the valve. At each end, one handle engages one arm of a bail so as to prevent rotation of the rotary tube in either direction when the end caps are locked. The other two handles are angularly offset from the other arms of the bails so that when either bail is removed from its locking position, the rotary tube may be turned slightly to partially open the valve. A small amount of lading will then discharge through the valve for use as a sample. Thus, by removal of a bail from only one side of a covered hopper railway car, a lading sampling may be taken from the outlet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a top plan of an end portion of a railway car hopper outlet having a bail for securing an end cap against the end of a rotatable valve.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the arrangement shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section taken generally along line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an end elevation of the hopper outlet structure showing the end cap removed and the bail in its upper position.

FIG. 5 is a section taken generally along line 5-5 of FIG. 1 and showing the rotatable valve suspended from an outer collar.

FIG. 6 is an elongated top plan of an end portion of the rotatable tube segment or valve with the valve being rotated to a partial open position for taking of a sampling.

FIG. 7 is a section taken generally along line 7-7 of FIG. 6 showing the partial open position of the rotatable tube segment.

FIG. 8 shows a blank for forming the valve.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Although the invention relates to lading discharge outlets generally, it will be described herein with reference to pneumaticdischarge outlets for a railway covered hopper car. Outlets of this type having a rotary tube valve adapted to be turned by a pair of handles at each end of the rotary tube are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,554,609. Referring to the drawing, hopper 10, of which only the lower portion is shown in the drawing, has a bottom flange 11 to which outlet 12 is suitably secured. The outlet includes pneumatic valve 14, comprising an outer tube 16 fixed to sides 17, 18 and having an opening 19 communicating withtlie interior of the outlet. Tube 16 extends transversely across the car. Tube 20 is mounted within tube 16 for rotation therein. When tube 20 is turned so that opening 21 is in register with opening 19, the valve is fully opened. Tube 20 may be provided with notches and slots of different lengths, on one side extending to points a, b, and c, respectively, and on the other side to points f, g, and h, as shown in FIG. 8. The notches and slots of tube 20 permit gradual opening of valve 14, as is described more fully in U.S. Pat. No. 3,194,420.

The ends of tubes 16 and 20 are adapted to be closed by caps 22. The caps are connected to one end of chains 23, 24, the other ends of which are connected to the outlets by loops 25, 2 6. A bail 27 has pivots 28, 29 fixed to the side walls 30 of the outlet. Arms 31 and 32 of bail 27 extend around the end of cap 22. The end portion 33 of bail 27 has a slot 34 and a pair of extensions 35, 36 between which a lever 37 is positioned.

The lever has a fulcrum 38 and a camming portion 39 formed so that when lever 37 is turned to the position shown in FIG. 1, the cam portion 39 tightly presses end cap 22 into its closed position.

Handles 40, 41 are connected to yoke or clamp 42 and fastened by bolts 43, 44 to lower portion 45 of the clamp. Clamp 42 tightly engages rotatable ring 46 and is connected by bolts 47, 48 to rotatable tube 20. I-Ian: die 41 is spaced a predetermined distance from arm 31 of the bail, while handle 40 is positioned to be in contact with arm 32 of the bail. On the other, or far, side of the outlet as viewed in FIG. 4, the pair of handles are offset in the opposite direction so that the one which is on the same (right) side as handle 41 engages the bail and the other handle, on the same (left) side as handle 40, is spaced from the bail. It is evident, then, that when both bails are closed, the handles cannot be turned in either direction. However, when, say, near side bail 27 is removed to the vertical position shown in FIG. 4, and by dashed lines 50 in FIG. 2, then handles 40, 41 can be turned to dashed line positions 51, 52 in FIG. 4. In this position the slots which extend to points f of tube 20 are brought into communication with opening 19 of outlet 12, as shown in FIG. 7. A small amount of lading will then pass through rotary tube 20 into the outer tube 16. This sample of the lading may then be removed by a rake or other means for examination.

When both bails 27 are unlocked and end caps 22 are removed, valve 14 can be turned to its fully open position, at which opening 21 of rotary tube 20 is in register with opening 19 of the outlet. A suction conduit may then be attached to ring 46 or extension 54 thereof for unloading the lading. Thus, without any appreciable added structure or structural complications, provision is made for obtaining a sample of the lading before unloading the car.

What is claimed is:

1. A railway car hopper having a bottom pneumatic discharge outlet; a valve formed by an outer fixed tube extending transversely across the car and a second tube rotatable within the outer tube, the outer tube having an opening communicating with the hopper and the rotatable tube having openings for receiving lading through the opening in the outer tube, said tubes having open ends for the passage of lading therethrough; caps mounted on the tubes for closing the ends thereof; a bail connected to each end-of the outer tube and adapted to be moved over the end of each cap; and means on the bails for locking the caps closed; comprising a pair of handles secured to the rotatable tube at each end thereof and adapted to engage the bails, the handles being so positioned angularly relative to the bails and the handles at one end being offset angularly relative to the handles at the other end so that the inner tube cannot be rotated when the bails are closed, but can be rotated to a slightly open position when one bail is unlocked, whereby a sample of the lading is obtainable.

2. Apparatus according to claim I, wherein one handle of each pair abuts one bail and the other handle of that pair is spaced from that bail, when the bails are in their locking position.

3. A railway car hopper having an outlet at the bottom thereof; a lading discharge valve at the bottom of the outlet; a conduit communicating with said valve and extending transversely across the car; caps for closing the ends of said conduit; and a locking means for locking each end cap in its closed position; comprising operating means for opening and closing said valve, and stop means coacting with said operating means for preventing operation of said valve when both end caps are locked and enabling only partial opening of said valve when only one of said end caps is locked, in order to permit obtainment of a sample of the lading.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the valve includes a rotary tube extending through said conduit and said operating means includes a pair of outwardly extending handles near each end of said rotary tube for rotating said valve.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said means for locking said end caps provides stops for engaging said handles, said handles and stops constituting said stop means.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said locking means for the end caps engage one handle of each pair thereof and areslightly spaced from the other handles, the engaged handles being on opposite ends of the rotary tube.

7. In a lading discharge valve for a hopper outlet of a railway car having a rotary tube valve member extending across the car, means for manually rotating the valve member, including a pair of angularly spaced opposed projections on each end of the valve member; removable stop means at each end of the valve member providing a stop engaging one projection and a stop having a predetermined angular spacing from the other rojection, the two en aged sto s being disposed so as o prevent rotation o the va ve member in either direction, whereby upon removal of one of the stop means the valve member can be rotated in one direction to partially open the valve to obtain a sample of the lading.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, including end caps for closing the ends of the rotary tube valve member, said stop means engaging the end caps for holding them tightly closed.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the stop means include bails pivoted on the outlet.

10. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the rotary tube valve member has a main lading discharge opening and a relatively smaller lading sampling opening angularly spaced from the main opening. 

1. A railway car hopper having a bottom pneumatic discharge outlet; a valve formed by an outer fixed tube exTending transversely across the car and a second tube rotatable within the outer tube, the outer tube having an opening communicating with the hopper and the rotatable tube having openings for receiving lading through the opening in the outer tube, said tubes having open ends for the passage of lading therethrough; caps mounted on the tubes for closing the ends thereof; a bail connected to each end of the outer tube and adapted to be moved over the end of each cap; and means on the bails for locking the caps closed; comprising a pair of handles secured to the rotatable tube at each end thereof and adapted to engage the bails, the handles being so positioned angularly relative to the bails and the handles at one end being offset angularly relative to the handles at the other end so that the inner tube cannot be rotated when the bails are closed, but can be rotated to a slightly open position when one bail is unlocked, whereby a sample of the lading is obtainable.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one handle of each pair abuts one bail and the other handle of that pair is spaced from that bail, when the bails are in their locking position.
 3. A railway car hopper having an outlet at the bottom thereof; a lading discharge valve at the bottom of the outlet; a conduit communicating with said valve and extending transversely across the car; caps for closing the ends of said conduit; and a locking means for locking each end cap in its closed position; comprising operating means for opening and closing said valve, and stop means coacting with said operating means for preventing operation of said valve when both end caps are locked and enabling only partial opening of said valve when only one of said end caps is locked, in order to permit obtainment of a sample of the lading.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the valve includes a rotary tube extending through said conduit and said operating means includes a pair of outwardly extending handles near each end of said rotary tube for rotating said valve.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said means for locking said end caps provides stops for engaging said handles, said handles and stops constituting said stop means.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said locking means for the end caps engage one handle of each pair thereof and are slightly spaced from the other handles, the engaged handles being on opposite ends of the rotary tube.
 7. In a lading discharge valve for a hopper outlet of a railway car having a rotary tube valve member extending across the car, means for manually rotating the valve member, including a pair of angularly spaced opposed projections on each end of the valve member; removable stop means at each end of the valve member providing a stop engaging one projection and a stop having a predetermined angular spacing from the other projection, the two engaged stops being disposed so as to prevent rotation of the valve member in either direction, whereby upon removal of one of the stop means the valve member can be rotated in one direction to partially open the valve to obtain a sample of the lading.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 7, including end caps for closing the ends of the rotary tube valve member, said stop means engaging the end caps for holding them tightly closed.
 9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the stop means include bails pivoted on the outlet.
 10. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the rotary tube valve member has a main lading discharge opening and a relatively smaller lading sampling opening angularly spaced from the main opening. 